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Modwright SWL 9.0SE Pre ... your thoughts welcome

Hey, I have decided to dive into tubes ... well, you get my meaning. I was steered towards the Modwright SWL 9.0SE and so far have read some good things. I'm running a Levinson ML-27 for power and Paradigm S-4's for speakers. My transport is nothing special, Denon DVD-2200 but I am also looking at running a tubed DAC in hopes of bringing the system a little more alive. Right now the system seems a little flat ... not very exciting. Plenty of volume bass end it fantastic but the mid and upper end seem very packaged. Imaging is not very good ... High and mid frequencies don’t seem to blend well. Some CD's have fair to good sound but most seem pretty "plain". Just doesn’t have that delicacy I'm looking for. I seem to listen the SPEAKERS and not the music. I recently listened to an older set of Paradigms pushed by a small tubed integrated and I was amazed. The tubed gear really made the Paradigm speakers come to life ... I was set back in my chair. Vocals were clear and crisp … the sound was extremely detailed and I had to be drug out of the room. Since then I have really started to pick a part my system.

Cables are Signalcable Silver Resolution Balanced and Cobalt Ultimate speaker cables. I'm running Signal cable "Magic" power cables. Nothing fancy but it should do the job.

Is this upgrade going to help? Has anyone experienced this?

Any better preamps in the $1500-2000 range? What about Levinson SS preamps?

Help me out … Please
128x128horseface
dwright
35 posts
 
Phono Preamp is on the list for 2006. I have started work on a design that is intended to integrate well with the 9.0SE as well as other linestage/preamp designs.

Please do check back with us if you are in the market.

Thanks,

Dan w.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Has anyone tube rolled with the SWL9.0SE? I wondering if it's possible to warm up the tonal characteristics beyond what the TungSol 5687 tubes provide, without losing the extension.
1markr
525 posts
 
Hey Grant, this could be it's own thread.

Anyways, I'm using Sylvania Gold Brand 5687s right now, and GE JAN 7044s work very well too. I already have 7044s on my Modwright 9000es, and found that the 7044s on both was WAY too much of a good thing.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I'm using Sylvania Gold Brand 5687s right now, and GE JAN 7044s work very well too. I already have 7044s on my Modwright 9000es, and found that the 7044s on both was WAY too much of a good thing.
1markr

Mark, would you be more specific about tonal characteristics of the Sylvania Gold Brand 5687 and GE Jan 7044. If you've used the TungSol 5687, perhaps you could compare them?

BTW, Mark, I have followed your suggestion of starting new thread to discuss this topic. Therefore, you might want to respond in the new thread once it's up on the server.
1markr
525 posts
 
Sure Grant, you asked for tubes that are tonally warmer than the T-Sols, so here they are, imho, of course.

I have the T-Sol 5687s, and they are very good tubes, but they are bit too edgy and SS-like for my tastes, and I always find myself rolling them out.

The GE JAN 7044s have most of the qualities of the T-Sols, with the addition of a truly wonderful midrange, less graininess. These are very cheap (~$20/pr.) and some consider them the poor man's Bendix 6900s.

The Sylvania GB65687s work very well in the Modwright preamp. They are "tubier" sounding than the T-Sols or the 7044s, and have that nice tube bloom, but I wouldn't call them overly euphonic either. Again, midrange on these is warmer and more to my liking than the T-Sols. There may be a slight (and I mean slight) sacrifice at the bass extreme (tubier bass, perhaps) but to me it is worth it.

Hope this helps...ultimately your preferences and system will dictate what sounds best to you, but both tubes above are worth a listen. The nice thing about the 5687 family of tubes is that they are really good sounding tubes, and relatively cheap in the NOS world (well, except for the 6900s).
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